1. Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to a touch screen that provides a User Interface (UI). More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus of controlling a UI to increase user convenience.
2. Description of the Related Art:
Digital portable terminals, such as smart phones, tablet Personal Computers (PCs), e-book readers, and the like have rapidly gained popularity and their roles, uses and functions have changed. Smart phones, which are being widely used, function additionally as an information processor like a personal information manager, in addition to the role of a personal portable communication device. Accordingly, an object-oriented information input means is used for a digital portable terminal in order to enhance user convenience. For example, the digital portable terminal is equipped with a touch screen to allow a user to input necessary information conveniently and to process the input information. Previously, a user may be inconvenienced when the user selects and inputs information on the touch screen of a digital portable terminal because of the different sizes of the touch screens. In this context, the different sizes of the touch screens are developed and widely equipped for digital portable terminals. Thus, for example, if a larger touch screen relatively in a digital portable terminal is difficult to touch by one-hand users.
FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate a limitation of a larger touch screen in a digital portable terminal, in terms of a touchable area according to the related art.
Referring to FIGS. 1A and 1B, FIG. 1B illustrates a larger touch screen 100b in a smart phone than a touch screen 100a in a related-art smart phone illustrated in FIG. 1A. A part of the touch screen 100b in the smart phone illustrated in FIG. 1B may be untouchable or inaccessible for touching by a user according to the use environment of an input means because the touch screen 100b is relatively large. For example, the user's hand may be used as the input means of the smart phone. For the convenience of description, a user that manipulates a digital portable terminal with one hand is referred to as a ‘one-hand user’. To use a smart phone, a one-hand user should first hold the smart phone. Specifically, the user holds the smart phone with the other four fingers of one hand except for the thumb. Then, the one-hand user inputs information to the smart phone, mainly with a thumb 105.
In FIG. 1A, the one-hand user may reach the entire display area of the touch screen 100a of the related-art smart phone with the thumb 105 to manipulate the touch screen 100a. On the other hand, the manipulation area is confined to a part of the touch screen 100b larger than the touch screen 100a and thus there are areas beyond reach of the thumb 105, i.e. areas that cannot be touched by the thumb 105 or areas above which the thumb 105 cannot be placed, on the touch screen 100b. 
In general, UIs are arranged in an array having grids at predetermined intervals on the touch screen or UIs are confined to a specific position on the touch screen in order to receive a user input.
Therefore, if the one-hand user uses the relatively large touch screen 100b, as illustrated in FIG. 1B, a manipulation range available to the one-hand user is limited to a part of the touch screen 100b. In addition, if the touch screen 100b provides UIs in a typical grid structure or UIs beyond the manipulation range, the UI convenience of the one-hand user may further be decreased.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present invention.